Overview
Stranger Builds is a Halloween hackathon run by NERDCONF, described on the page as "the nerdiest Halloween hack ever." This listing is for the San Francisco edition. The event focuses on building something unusual and then getting real people to use it. Its stated goal is to help builders find their first users within seven days.
Date and format
The in-person part takes place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 10:00 to 18:00 Pacific Time, according to the event's structured data. The page explains the format as one day in person, then seven days online to ship. The in-person day can be attended in San Francisco or Melbourne, or participants can join online from anywhere. A separate Melbourne listing and a separate online listing are linked from this page.
Location
The event is listed in San Francisco, United States. The exact address is shown only after registration, so attendees need to sign up to see the venue details.
Prizes
The event advertises 10,000 US dollars in cash prizes and credits. The challenges that will determine how these prizes are awarded have not been announced yet, and the page says they will be shared soon. Judge announcements are also still to come.
Who should attend
The event is aimed at builders who want to make something strange and test it with real users. The page invites participants to meet other builders and to bring a project to life. It does not list specific skill requirements or technical prerequisites.
Sponsors and partners
The event is backed by the following organizations:
- Base44, Main Sponsor: a tool for describing an app in plain words and generating a working one with backend, authentication, and hosting included.
- Fetch.ai, Main Sponsor: a platform for building AI agents that find each other and complete tasks.
- Vonage, a sponsor offering APIs for messaging, voice, and video inside applications.
- Shelled AI, Community Partner: a platform for designing, building, testing, and shipping software with any AI model.
- MLAI AUS, Community Partner for Melbourne.
Registration
General admission is free, with a listed price of 0 US dollars. Registration requires host approval, so attendees submit a request to join and wait for confirmation.
About the organizer
NERDCONF runs hackathons in San Francisco and around the world and reports a global network of more than 25,000 builders. Its most recent event was Burning Token in September 2026, held in San Francisco and online. Anyone interested in judging or sponsoring Stranger Builds can contact hey@nerdconf.com.
Other editions
The page links to the Melbourne edition and the online edition, which are part of the same Stranger Builds event series.
